It’s Strictly the Best

I’ll say it loud and proud, I absolutely love Strictly Come Dancing. On a dark Saturday evening there is nothing I love more than turning on BBC One to watch beautiful people dancing to terrible live singers. It’s bliss. Whilst there are so many positives from watching Strictly including their makeup and costumes there is also the negatives. One, sorry, two of my main gripes are with our hosts Claudia and Tess. The cringe, the falseness, the autocue - I hate it all. Nevertheless, this blog unpacks some of my favourites this season, the online vitriol one of them is receiving and how Strictly viewers need a smack with a feather boa to bring them back to reality.

Stars are Born

Typically in a Strictly series, there is the fan favourite who excels every week and their partnership is talked about positively on every media outlet. In 2023, we have Ellie and Vito who bring their best every week with their complex routines, insane lifts and tricks and of course, their rumoured relationship. Ellie is an actor with no previous dance experience so of course, the diehard Strictly fans adore her and so do I - she’s amazing.

However, there is room for two stars this series as we watch Layton Williams launch his career into superstardom. I absolutely love this man, he’s hilarious, flamboyant, cheeky, gorgeous and MY GOD one of the best performers I have ever seen on Strictly. It would be extremely rude of me not to mention his 40-winning Paso from last weekend danced to remixes of Britney Spears Toxic and Lady Gaga Bad Romance. It was the best 2 minutes I have watched on TV this year and will be added to my 4am wine drunk YouTube playlist (A potential threat to Kelvin and Oti’s Couples Choice dance from my most viewed).

“Hate”

Yet whilst Layton is an obvious star the narrative surrounding him has been largely negative, damaging and uncalled for. So much so, in this week’s show judge Motsi Mabuse referenced the online “hate” and applauded him for his passion and strength on coming back each week and delivering these exceptional performances. He has been vilified for his background in musical theatre as he has had starring roles in Billy Elliott, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Rent and many more stage shows. However, he’s not a ballroom or Latin trained dancer. I appreciate he has experience in choreography and the confidence to go out there and perform these routines but that doesn’t make him a professional dancer.

“Unfair Advantages”

Every year the Strictly viewers find someone to launch their “unfair advantage” hate on to. For this blog, I took a little stroll down memory lane of previous contestants and I found that most people are washed up popstars and stage actors. Here’s a glimpse of some previous participants, Alexandra Burke, Fleur East, Alesha Dixon, Emma Bunton, Michelle Williams, Pixie Lott and most of the men from The Wanted and Blue. I mean, Strictly producers literally had a Spice Girl and a member of Destiny’s Child involved in the show. I am sure those years there was a definite unfair advantage against the Olympian’s, broadcasters, politicians and comedians.

It’s also worth shouting out that producers contact people to take part in the series, they head hunt participants who can either decline or accept. It’s not like Layton stormed Elstree Studio and demanded a spot on the floor to show off his moves. These are tactful choices from producers and casting directors. Extra points if your line up adds a little splash of controversary to drive online engagement.

Reality Check

I think it’s so important to remember that the public figures taking part in Strictly Come Dancing aren’t hoping to become full-time professional dancers after the show raps. It would be a pretty terrible message for dancers who have devoted their entire lives to the sport that someone from Eastenders is now considered a professional after 12 weeks.

Typically, people get involved in these shows to either launch their career or to try and reignite it. The viewers get so wrapped up in dance floor politics between couples and their standing in the competition yet seem to forget that most of them are heading back to their day job on Monday morning.

It’s Strictly Business

I applaud, respect and admire anyone who participates in Strictly Come Dancing due to the level of commitment, dedication and discipline required to succeed. But I also know that these public figures and celebrities are going to be financially sound even if they don’t lift the mirror ball trophy.

It would be a completely different story if the competition involved normal people competing for £100,000. In that case, if you have previous dance experience then you would have an unfair advantage completely and I wouldn’t be onboard for that. But the BBC hasn’t commissioned that idea yet (which they should) so we’re left with our celebrities and if you want some career brand awareness you’ll suck it up, wear your sequins and smile.